We're introducing an updated Photos experience on Windows 11 that makes it easier to browse, organize, and find photos and videos across a user's PC and OneDrive. The experience will begin rolling out to Windows Insiders on Windows 11 today and expand to all Windows 11 users later this year. As the rollout progresses, we want you to understand what's changing for managed devices and how existing management policies apply.
What's changing
The updated Photos experience on Windows 11 provides a streamlined experience for organizing and finding photos across local and cloud libraries.
Users will continue to see a single Photos entry in Start, with a refreshed Photos experience for browsing and organizing their library. Photos that users store locally on a PC remain supported. Signing in to OneDrive isn't required to use Photos with local content.
What's changing?
- Individual images from File Explorer or elsewhere in Windows now open in the updated native Photo Viewer, the default for opening image files.
- An updated editing experience now includes a fully native photo editor and a refreshed user experience with tools organized around photo-editing workflows.
For organizations that use OneDrive, users can sign in with a work or school account to access OneDrive photos alongside local content.
What this means for managed devices
The updated Photos experience is rolling out to both consumer and commercial Windows 11 devices. In managed environments, deployment respects existing controls for app installation, updates, and OneDrive access.
App installation and updates
If your organization restricts the Microsoft Photos app, the following management controls are available:
- If the DisableStoreApps policy disables or removes Store-originated apps, affected devices won't install this update.
- If you previously blocked the Microsoft Photos package through AppLocker packaged-app rules, add the updated app package, Microsoft.OneDrive.Photos, to your AppLocker rules.
OneDrive restrictions
If you restrict OneDrive sign-in or synchronization in your organization, continue using the following existing OneDrive policies:
- DisablePersonalSync prevents users from signing in to personal OneDrive accounts.
- DisableNucleusSync prevents users from using any OneDrive accounts in Photos.
These restrictions apply to OneDrive functionality within Photos rather than preventing use of the app.
No new or immediate action required by IT administrators
For most organizations, no new configuration is expected specifically for the updated Photos experience.
We encourage you to review your existing Windows app-management and OneDrive policies. Confirm that they reflect your organization's intended configuration, including any rules that intentionally block or remove Microsoft Photos.
We'll continue to share additional deployment and management guidance as the updated Photos experience becomes more broadly available.
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